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Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf  Board and UP Shia Central Waqf Board in separate statements,  directed trustees and managing committees of graveyards registered with them to not allow those seeking to offer prayers for Shab-e-Barat on April 9 and instead ask them to pray at their homes.
Shab-e-Barat in Islamic faith means ‘Night of Forgiveness’ or ‘Day of Atonement’ and is considered that the Almighty forgives sinners if they pray on the day.
Muslim clerics also appealed to Muslims to not visit graveyards on Shab-e-Barat in view of the lockdown to prevent spread of coronavirus and advised people to remain home and pray for their loved ones.
“In view of the lockdown, the Waqf Board had earlier closed down its mosques for namaz. We have now directed all concerned to ensure that graveyards are not open for common people on Shab-e-Barat on April 9. Employees residing inside graveyard premises have been asked to clean graves and light a lamp at every grave on the particular day,” UP Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi said on Tuesday.
UP Sunni Central Waqf Board also urged people not to walk out on the occasion.
“We have directed all employees to prevent people from coming to graveyards due to the lockdown. People should be asked to pray from their homes so that the lockdown is not violated,” said Chief Executive Officer of Sunni Central Waqf Board, SM Shoeb.
Meanwhile, Minority Welfare Minister Mohsin Raza also appealed to Muslims to avoid going to graveyards and shrines for offering tributes to their forefathers on Shab-e-Barat on April 8-9.  Raza said that social distancing should be maintained at any cost to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
‘Pray at your house with your family under strict social distancing during Shab-e-Baraat, rather than going to cemetery or shrines,” he said.